Sunday 7 February 2010

I competed in Limerick yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was great meeting up with the lads again and although I did not lift well, I am really glad I went down. New experiences, new lessons to be learned.

I weighed in at 93.8kg after not having a breakfast and no fluids that morning. I felt good and I had around three hours until I started my warm up--there is only one weigh in time: it's a small, but very well run competition with 25 lifters.

In my warm up,I found it hard to focus on my own lifting and in two weeks time I need to be more disciplined and not allow my concentration wander. Here is what I did:

Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 40, 60, 80 1x1@90, 90, 100, 105

I then missed 110 in my first attempt. It flew up but I started my second pull way too early and did not stay over the bar. Too over-eager! I was too far behind the bar to catch it at all. I then got it pretty easily in my second attempt. I went up to 116 for a pb in my third attempt and there were so many things wrong with the Snatch that it is difficult to know where to start. My balance was off in the lift so I almost fell too far forward which caused me to swing outrageously. The bar went up slowly and was way out of place, while my feet jumped back. I have very rarely felt that out of sync in a lift. I was too anxious and needed to be far more composed mentally. The mind controls the body and my mind was all over the place.

For the Clean and Jerks, things went very pear shaped. As soon as I started with 60kg, for some reason I was blacking out at the top of my Cleans. This has never happened before, but I went with it anyway. I went up to 110 and because I was feeling sluggish, I power Cleaned 120 but again, I had to drop it when I stood up. It was more an instinctive reaction than a thought out decision. I then Cleaned 130 as my last warm up and dropped it at the top. I then missed 130, which is usually a Power Clean and went out to wait for my 135 opener.

135kg is usually a really easy opener for when I am being more conservative. I missed the Clean in my first attempt. Looking at the video I got it up to Power Clean height and let it fall down on me by around six inches or so. It put me back on my heels and I fell over backwards in as inelegant a fashion as is posible. So embarassing. I then went out for my second attempt, got it and called it a day. This was one of my hardest ever Clean and Jerks, because I was very light headed as I was about to Jerk, but I had to get it anyway. I was so happy when I was finished--my lifting felt horrible.

On a brighter note, Zag Snatched 100kg for a competitive pb, despite straining his right trap in the warm up. He Clean and Jerked 120, was denied 125 for a pressout and Cleaned, but missed the Jerk with 130kg. Wayne Snatched an extremely impressive 105kg and due to a shoulder injury, only Jerked 115--although he Cleaned 125, he did not try to Jerk it. He is saving it for two weeks time in the National Masters/Juniors; this is also an open event which is why myself and Zag are lifting in it. We will treat that as another training competition again.

Here is a video of some of our lifts. Thanks to Murph, Eamonn, Cathal and the rest of the lads from Limerick for organising the competition. It was great fun and I will learn a lot from it.

Here is a special bonus feature of one of the most impressive displays of strength and fortitude I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone go for a lift like this, no holding back, head first, no holes barred. You have to repect this guy.